Annarita Antelmi

Are gloves sufficiently protective when hairdressers are exposed to permanent hair dyes? An in vivo study.

The use of permanent hair dyes exposes hairdressers to contact allergens such as p‐phenylenediamine (PPD), and the preventive measures are insufficient.

Isobornyl acrylate : An impurity in alkyl glucosides

Abstract Context: Alkyl glucosides and alkyl poly-glucosides are widely used as wetting agents, surfactants and emulsifiers in several industrial and cosmetic products. They are known as well-tolerated and are usually added to the primary surfactants in order to reduce the irritating potential of the main foaming agents. Objective: Recently, some authors suggested that allergic contact dermatitis to alkyl glucosides might be more frequent than suspected. On the other hand, the chemical structures of glucosides do not show potentially allergenic chemical groups or strongly polarized structures. The aim of our study is to investigate alkyl glucosides carrying out a detailed chemical analysis on samples of raw materials to identify potentially allergenic impurities or by-products contained in commercial samples of alkyl glucosides. Materials and methods: We chemically analyzed samples of cocoyl glucoside, decyl glucoside and lauryl glucoside by three different analytical methods, in order to identify any undesired or polluting substances. Result: In each of the three samples, we detected the presence of isobornyl acrylate. Its approximate content in the tested samples is 500u2009ng/g of the product. Discussion: Isobornyl acrylate is not used in the synthesis of alkyl glucosides, but as a plasticizer in many plastic materials. It can be easily released to materials flowing over these surfaces when they have high extraction power, as glucosides. Conclusion: Isobornyl acrylate may play a role as hidden allergen, in the form of an impurity collected during the industrial process, explaining some cases of allergic reaction to alkyl glucosides.

Evaluation of concordance between labelling and content of 52 hair dye products: overview of the market of oxidative hair dye

BackgroundHair dyes contain strong allergens and are widely available. Correct labelling is a necessity in order to provide information about the contents.ObjectivesTo compare the labelling and content of hair dyes.Materials and methodsIn total, 52 hair dyes, from 11 different countries, were bought over the counter. High-pressure liquid chromatography was used for the analysis of p-phenylenediamine (PPD), toluene-2,5-diamine (2,5-TDA), and three oxidation products of PPD.ResultsThere was good agreement between labelling and content, although seven of the 52 products (13.5%) studied were incorrectly labelled. There were differences in the geographical use of PPD and 2,5-TDA; 2,5-TDAwas more common in European products, while PPDwas more common in products purchased outside Europe andwas present in higher concentrations.ConclusionAll dyes purchased in Europe contained PPD and 2,5-TDA at levels within the limits defined by European legislation, however, levels were higher in some products purchased outside Europe. Only a small group of hair dyes sold in Europe were mislabelled. Further improvement in labelling, by providing the concentration of chemicals, may facilitate products to be purchased both locally and within the global market, when travelling or on the internet.

Sunscreen allergy due to cinnamyl alcohol in a ketoprofen-sensitized patient

ejd.2011.1256 Auteur(s) : Caterina FOTI c.foti@dermatologia.uniba.it, Paolo ROMITA, Annarita ANTELMI Unit of Dermatology - Department of Internal Medicine, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Bari, Policlinico, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11, I-70124 Bari, Italy Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and photoallergic contact dermatitis (PACD) to sunscreens are frequently observed in ketoprofen (KP)-sensitive patients, probably because they widely use these products to protect themselves from [...]

Allergic contact dermatitis caused by panthenyl ethyl ether in a patient with psoriasis

A 65-year-old woman with palmoplantar psoriasis was referred with intense itching eczematous dermatitis on her feet. Her history showed that she had her psoriasis treated for 3 months with oral acitretin 0.5 mg/kg daily and daily topical application of an emollient stick used to improve the re-epithelization of fissured heels. During the treatment, her hands healed quickly, but she experienced worsening of the skin lesions on the feet during the last month of therapy. Patch testing was performed with the baseline series of the Italian Society of Allergological, Occupational and Environmental Dermatology (SIDAPA) (Euromedical, Calolziocorte, LC, Italy), and with the

Solvent Orange 60 is a potent contact sensitizer in occupational and everyday life

Solvent Orange (SO) 60 is a perinone‐type dye that is often used in plastic materials such as spectacle frames and has been shown to cause contact allergy. The first case of SO 60 allergic contact dermatitis caused by spectacle frames was reported in 1999, and the second in 2011. We have recently seen 10 patients, of whom 6 developed dermatitis in the retroauricular/temporal area after wearing plastic spectacles.

Occupational allergic rhinitis and contact urticaria caused by Gum Arabic in a candy factory worker

Paolo Romita1 , Tamara Bufano1, Annarita Antelmi2 , Matteo Gelardi3 and Caterina Foti1 1Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, Dermatological Clinic, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy, 2Department of Occupational and Environmental Dermatology, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, 200 52 Malmö, Sweden and 3Section of Otolaryngology, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy